Modern aircraft, such as the F-15 aircraft manufactured by the assignee of the present invention, and the P-3, the S-3 and the F-16 aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, are adapted to carry stores. These stores can, for example, include missiles, such as the Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM), the Harpoon Block I missile, and the Harpoon Block II missile. A missile is generally mounted to the wing of a host aircraft, typically via disconnectable pylons, such that the aircraft can carry the missile to the vicinity of the target destination prior to its deployment.
Typically, aircraft include provisions to carry and launch stores of a predetermined type. For example, aircraft such as the P-3 aircraft typically have provisions to carry and launch Harpoon Block I missiles. The aircraft provisions can include aircraft wiring and a weapon control subsystem, such as a Harpoon Aircraft Command and Launch Control System (HACLCS). In this regard, the weapon control subsystem can provide pre-launch power and control signals to develop and load mission and target parameters into the store, and then provide launch functions to the store and thereafter release the store. Generally, the store is attached to the aircraft at a weapon store pylon that provides the mechanical mounting and release mechanisms and the electrical connection for the power, control and communication link with the weapon control subsystem within the aircraft. In turn, a short umbilical cable normally provides the electrical connection between the store and the aircraft. In this regard, the umbilical cable is typically mechanically restrained and electrically connected to the aircraft pylon on one end, and electrically connected through a releasable connector at a store umbilical connector at the other end.
Generally, Harpoon Block II missiles include the same umbilical interface connection to the aircraft pylon as Harpoon Block I missiles. Harpoon Block II missiles also use the same electrical power and control specification and connector pin assignments as Harpoon Block I missiles. In contrast to Harpoon Block I missiles, however, Harpoon Block II missiles have a more sophisticated flight control system that allows precision GPS-aided navigation to targets that cannot be assigned to Harpoon Block I missiles. The GPS-aided navigation system allows the Harpoon Block II missile to fly a more complex mission engagement path using parameters that must be preplanned and stored in the weapon's volatile memory before launch. Due to the increased number of parameters that can be loaded into Harpoon Block II missiles, conventional bus test support equipment designed for Harpoon Block I missiles cannot retain the increased amount of data, and cannot fault isolate errors in the launch equipment and missile communications.